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James Teresco

Siena University, NY·Education Research

Computer science changes quickly, with new developments such as generative AI and quantum computing, along with shifting employer needs and student interests. College CS programs therefore need regular revision.

Fields

Education Research

Computer Science

Topics

computer science education

CS curriculum

curriculum design

Grants
1 known grant, through Sep 2028

What they work on

  1. Deploy and refine a facilitated backward design process in which a department's mission and goals guide later choices about outcomes, course structure and core and elective CS content.
  2. Compare single-department and multi-department cohort working groups as ways to guide liberal arts CS departments through curriculum review.
  3. Evaluate the process through analysis of revised curricula and documentation, surveys and focus groups, measuring curriculum innovation, faculty engagement and confidence, and long-term capacity for revision.

More about the research

About a third of CS majors graduate from liberal arts and primarily undergraduate institutions. These schools often emphasize computing literacy for all students and let students join the major as late as sophomore or junior year. This project asks how such departments can revise their curricula well, matching international guidelines while staying true to their own mission.

Why it matters

A tested curriculum review process could help liberal arts computer science departments update their majors efficiently as the field changes. Their programs could then keep pace with advances such as generative AI and with employer needs while reflecting each school's mission. Students, including those who discover computing after starting college, could graduate better prepared for the computing workforce.

Known grants

From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.

Collaborative Research: Transforming Computer Science Curriculum Design at Liberal Arts Institutions

NSF · Oct 2025 – Sep 2028

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The school

Siena University: 1 labs on PI Pages.

More about Siena University

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